Repairing Granite & Natural Stone

Scratches

On MOH's scale of hardness, granites usually have a hardness of
6 to 7. Marbles have a hardness of about 3, and soapstone 2. Granite is far more resistant to scratching than soapstone and marble because it's a
harder natural stone. The lower the number, the softer the stone.

The harder the stone is, the harder it is to scratch,
AND the harder it is to remove the scratch.

What Scratches Natural Stone?

Something harder than the actual stone would need to scratch it.

For example, a piece of granite or marble would scratch a piece of soapstone. BUT, soapstone
would not scratch your marble or your granite.

A copper penny with a hardness of 3.5 on MOH's scale of relative hardness will scratch soapstone, may scratch marble, but it won't
scratch granite.

A Few More Examples...

Softer stones are scratched from foot traffic. Dirt, sand, and grit from your shoes are an abrasive to stone flooring. Any
flooring actually! This is why it's recommended to use rugs or mats
near entry ways and to dust mop your floors frequently.

Softer stone countertop materials such as marble and soapstone might scratch from toys, cutting on them, or tossing your
keys across them.

Granite might scratch if another piece of granite rubs against it. Notice how your fabricator transports and stores stone.
The polished side of a stone is adjacent to the polished side of another stone and the rough side of a stone is adjacent to the rough side of
another stone.

Granite is a much harder stone and more resistant to scratching. It does not scratch easily. According to Frederick Hueston, a prominent stone
expert and consultant, "The only thing that could possibly scratch granite would be if a person would turn their diamond ring around and
scratch the stone surface with it."

Avoid scratches by knowing what causes them.

Repairing Granite & Natural Stone Scratches

Scratches in stone can and do happen. BUT, can they be repaired and HOW?

This depends on the type of stone, where the stone is located, and how deep the scratch is.

Soapstone scratches are one of the easiest to repair.

For light scratches, put mineral oil on a paper towel and apply it to your
soapstone using medium pressure. Hopefully this makes the scratch
disappear BECAUSE this is the easiest!

Or, use a small piece of 300 grit sandpaper and sand it out. Then, follow up with a mineral oil application.

For deeper scratches, use 100 grit sandpaper followed by a mineral oil application.

Repairing scratches in granite and marble isn't quite as easy.

If your stone is scratched, a stone care professional comes in with an electric machine (grinder, etc.) and 'sands' the scratch out
using a series of diamond pads, buffer pads, felt pads, and possibly a chemical polish such as tin oxide.

The grit of the pads and the number of steps taken depends on the the scratch, the type of stone and the finish of your stone.

In some instances, it may be necessary to send the piece of stone in to be resurfaced. This would make your stone like new but it's expensive and
it's a hassle!

Can You Repair Scratches Yourself?

Not usually. Surface polishing is definitely not a do it yourself project. This is an art
and irreversible damage can occur. It's even possible to make the scratch worse by leaving a dip in the stone or losing the luster of the surface.
You'll find
stone pros near you listed by state then city.

Surface polishing is a very difficult thing to do.
It's considered an ART in the stone business.

Possible Quick Fixes

Try buffing slight surface scratches with dry #0000 steel wool.

It might be possible to "fix" small scratches on dark stones yourself by using a black permanent marker or a paint marker
(these work the best). Color in the scratch and then wipe off the area with denatured alcohol to remove any excess color. This method isn't
repairing granite or stone scratches. The scratch is hidden.

If the scratch disappears when wet, you may be able to camouflage it by using a good quality
stone color enhancer.

We recommend that you consult with your stone specialist when
repairing granite & natural stone scratches.